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/VB3 / A/ O,(s0-02 A SURVEY OF THE RESEARCH LITERATURE ON THE FEMALE HIGH VOICE THESIS Presented to the Graduate Council of the University of North Texas in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS By Roberta M. Stephen, B. Mus., A. Mus., A.R.C.T. Denton, Texas December, 1988 Stephen, Roberta M., Survey of the Research Literature on the Female High Voice. Master of Arts (Music), December, 1988, 161 pp., 11 tables, 13 illustrations, 1 appendix, bibliography, partially annotated, 136 titles. The location of the available research literature and its relationship to the pedagogy of the female high voice is the subject of this thesis. The nature and pedagogy of the female high voice are described in the first four chapters. The next two chapters discuss maintenance of the voice in conventional and experimental repertoire. Chapter seven is a summary of all the pedagogy. The last chapter is a comparison of the nature and the pedagogy of the female high voice with recommended areas for further research. For instance, more information is needed to understand the acoustic factors of vibrato, singer's formant, and high energy levels in the female high voice. PREFACE The purpose of this thesis is to collect research about the female high voice and to assemble the pedagogy. The science and the pedagogy will be compared to show how the two subjects conform, where there is controversy, and where more research is needed. Information about the female high voice is scattered in various periodicals and books; it is not easily found. In addition, there is a paucity of research into the female voice itself. One of the leading singing-voice scientists in the world, Johann Sundberg, of the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, explains the rarity of investigations into the female voice as due to the difficulty of explaining the acoustiscal data. For instance, "One can seldom be sure if a difference between two vowel spectra is due to a difference in the phonation or in the articulation or to both." When vowels have a fundamental frequency ranging from 250 Hz to 1000 Hz and above, it is very difficult to differentiate that frequency from the frequency of the glottal sound. It is difficult to decide whether the formant or the partial is responsible for the spectrum envelope. Comparing research and pedagogy will show how scientific knowledge is applied to the teaching of iii the female high voice. Areas needing further research will also be identified. iv End Notes 1. Johann Sundberg, "Studies of the Soprano Voice, " The Journal of Research in Singing 1/1 (1977), p. 25. '17 CONTENTS A SURVEY OF THE RESEARCH LITERATURE ON THE FEMALE HIGH VOICE Page PREFACE . iii TABLES................ ........... viii ILLUSTRATIONS . x Chapter I. A DESCRIPTION OF THE FEMALE . ....1 HIGH VOICE . Introduction....... 1 Nomenclature . ...... 3 Passaggios of the High Voice . 5 Range or Extent of the Female High Voice . 10 II. PRODUCTION OF SOUND . 16 Laryngeal ....... 0....... 16 Acoustical......... 27 Breath Management . 36 III. SENSATIONS OF GOOD QUALITY SINGING . 48 Correct Placement . 48 Passing into the Head Voice . 56 Vocalizing in the Extended Range . 58 IV. THE PEDAGOGY OF THE FEMALE HIGH VOICE..............65 The Beginning Female Student . 65 Finding the Head Register . 74 Developing the Head Register . 80 vi V. MAINTAINING THE HEAD VOICE .93 93 Advice from Famous Singers ... .... 93 Advice from Teachers...... ... ..... 95 Advice from Medical Experts . ...... 101 VI. TWENTIETH-CENTURY EXTENDED VOCAL TECHNIQUES........ .......... 109 VII. SUMMARY OF THE PEDAGOGY OF THE FEMALE HIGH VOICE . ......... 121 Typical Voice-- Lyric or Mezzo-soprano .. ...... 121 Colorature Soprano.... .... .. 125 Flageolet Register.. .. ........ 126 VIII. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE NATURE AND THE PEDAGOGY OF THE FEMALE HIGH VOICE............130 Conformity..... ..... ... 130 Controversy4..... .. .... 132 Areas of Further Research............. 138 APPENDIX...................................147 BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................... ....... 150 vii TABLES, GRAPHS AND MUSICAL EXAMPLES Page I. Names of Vocal Registers . .0.*.0.0.& 4 II. Female Secondo Passaggios Measured by Various Authorities 6 III. Difference between Lowest Contralto and Highest Soprano Measured in Semitones .7 IV. Female Secondo Passagios after Ross . 0. a.0. 0. a . 9 V. The Partials Spectrum of a 400 Hz Sung Tone 29 VI. Vowel Formants 1. .0 . .0 . .0 . 0 31 VII. Chart of Tongue Positions for Vowels S . 32 VIII. Frequencies of Six Vowels . a 35 IX. Spectrum Envelope of Vocal Tract Tuned to /a/ 0a 37 X. Frequencies of Vowel Formants, . 111 Singers' Formant a . a .1.0.4 . 00 38 XI. Vocalises (a) 00 83 (b) S . 84 (c) . 86 (d) 88 XII. Alban Berg, Two Storm Lieder . XIII. Betsy Jolas, Caprice .. 114 XIV. Lexicon of Extended Vocal Techniques 116 viii XV. R. Murray Schafer, Melisma.. ... ..... 118 XVI. George Crumb Vocalise............ ......... 119 XVII. Vowel Modification Chart (Miller) . .... 124 APPENDIX Marchesi Exercises ........... ......... 148 ix ILLUSTRATIONS Page I. Shape of the vocal tract. ...... 17 II. Flexibility of the vocal tract.. .... 18 III. Arytenoid muscles...-.-........ .... 22 IV. Cricoarytenoid muscles . ..... .... 23 V. Thyroarytenoid muscles . ......... 25 VI. Lip opening of a soprano.. .... .... 33 VII. Berton Coffin vowel exercise as explained by Pearl Wormhoudt 54 VIII. Head tone sensations........ ............. 55 CHAPTER I A DESCRIPTION OF THE FEMALE HIGH VOICE Introduction The female high voice is frequently called the "head voice," a term, according to D. A. Clippinger, which grows naturally from the physical sensations felt in the head which accompany the production of higher vocal pitches.1 Many teachers and singers employ the expressions "head voice," "head register," and "high voice" interchangeably. Jeffrey Monahan found that between 1777 and 1927 most writers used the terms "head," "medium, " and "chest" for the different register mechanisms.2 Philip Duey found these terms were used as far back as Ceroni (1566 - 1625)).3 Manuel Garcia in Hints on Singing uses the term "head register" in his description of the female voice. This register "is the highest, and its sonority is the most remarkable, particularly in sopranos."4 Mathilda Marchesi described the three registers of female singers as she observed them in her years of teaching as chest, medium, and head. She explains that "'medium' precisely and logically explains the position of that register in the compass of the voice, and, secondly, to avoid all- confusion that might be caused by the term 1 2 'falsetto,' which belongs exclusively to men's voices."5 The limit of the medium register varies, according to Marchesi, between F5 (698 Hz) and F5-sharp (740 Hz).6 The head register is above that. She also observed that the registers were blended. John Burgin in his book Teaching Singing7 investigated published statements on singing between the years 1943 and 1971. In the thirty-three statements about registers the term "head" register appeared six times and "falsetto" twelve times, for the highest ranges of voices. Included is Brodnitz's statement that "falsetto lies above the male head voice and the whistle register above the female head register."8 Of forty-three authorities quoted by Victor Fields in his compendium of published statements on singing, 9 thirty-five employ the term "head" for the upper part of the singer's range while the other eight use the term "falsetto." In The Science of Vocal Pedagogy Ralph D. Appelman utilizes the term "head" register for the upper part of the human singing voice. He quotes Manuel Garcia as supporting evidence. "Every voice is formed of three distinct portions or registers, namely, chest (lowest), medium (middle), and head (highest)."1 0 Since the majority of singers and teachers of singing use the terms "high voice" or "head register," the same terms will be used in this paper when speaking of the 3 upper part of the female voice. Nomenclature Marianne Moerner has summarized and classified 107 names for the various registers of the human voice, found in Table I. The names given to the famles voice are a. English - head voice, falsetto voice, falsetto, high level. b. German - Kopfton, Kopf register, Hoch register. c. French - voix de tete, fausett-tete. d. Italian - voce di testa. The highest female register is known as: a. English - 4th register, pipe register, flute, whistle, or highest range. b. German - Pfeiffregister, Fistelstimme, Partialstimme. c. French - flageolette, fasett, petit registre, voix de sifflet. d. Italian - voce di campanello. From research on ordinary speech the terms "loft register" and "light mechanism" also refer to the head voice. 1 Although many of these terms are being used in the latest research, this paper will continue to use the more traditional and commonly employed terms of "chest," "middle," and "head" when referring to the female singing voice. 4 Table 1 Names of Vocal Registers VOICE REGISTER 1:2 87 c/s Fcmale F, 175 D4 294 - F4 349 D5 587- Es 659 B, 988 C7 2093 Fi 44 c/s Male F. 87 D., 147 - F., 175 D4 294 - F4 349 H4 494 l.usto(4ip) sorude 29, 35, 39 Djupkig 29, 34. 35, 9, 37, 39 Mellam4ge 29, 34. 35. 9, Uojdlime 29, 34, 35, 9, 39 (hiod I t'ormdel 29, Ilierhass 5 Bassregister (vasligt ) 39 Iteadvoice 32 32, 35, 39 Kehilbuss 18. 21, 12 Brustreg. 21, 19, 31, 34, 38 Volton 18 Falsettovoice 19 Flageolette 8, 17 Okiavierreg. 5 Knorpelreg. 2 Brusistimme 18 Falsetto 11 28 PKilfregister 8, 21, 14, 34 Stroihbuss 16, 9, 21. 12, 14, 8. Bruststiumic 12. 21. 18, 34 Mittelregister 23, 21 Zwischenstimme I Fistelstimme 21, I1, 81H, 33, 19, 5. 38 Vollsimme 4, 18 Mittostimone 7. 12*, 21, Kopfreg. 21, 19 23, 20, 31, 38 TI'AlfXs Grfiet 29 Vollreg. 5 9, 18, 14 Fisteistimme 12, 18 lbPartiakliosime 5 M.A./pew MNwI94.21) Tielokiave 9 Amphoitere-Tboic 9, 10, 114lhoktave 9, 37 )elregister 5 XRdlyosiproidlind 2") Untcrreg.